Wednesday, July 28, 2004

TRAFFIC AND MARINE PRESENCE DURING UPCOMING LONG WEEKEND

Let Us All Have a Safe One!

North Bay
Officers from the North Bay, Mattawa and Powassan OPP detachments will be out on the local highways and roadways and waterways ensuring that residents and visitors will have a safe long weekend Friday July 30th to Monday August 2nd, 2004.

Of the many traffic initiatives during this middle-of-the-summer civic holiday long weekend, officers will be ensuring that everyone buckles up and your youngsters are properly restrained in child seats according to their age and size. The North Bay OPP Cluster will also be checking vehicles to ensure no one drinks and drives, and that speeders slow down. Aggressive drivers will be dealt with in a strict manner, as their actions put themselves, passengers and other road users at risk.

The North Bay OPP Marine Unit, as always, will be out on our local water ways. The main objective of the North Bay OPP Marine unit will be your safety on the water. The unit will be checking vessels for lack of mandatory safety equipment; alcohol being consumed on board; lack of courtesy towards other boaters and cottagers i.e. Speed too fast, close proximity to shorelines and other vessels; and, violations relating to the Operator Competency Requirements*.

Here are last year’s Civic Holiday Weekend (Friday August 1st to August 4th, 2003) statistics:

Traffic –

# of Seatbelt Violations: 0
# of Impaired Drivers Charged: 0
# of Liquor Violation 0
# of Speeding Charges: 45
# of Hazardous Moving Violations **: 4
# of Motor Vehicle Collisions: 9
# of Personal Injury Motor Vehicle Collisions: 2
# of persons injured as a result of a Collision: 3

Marine –

# of Vessels checked: 36
# of Impaired Operators of Vessels: 0
# of Liquor Violations: 0
# of Personal Floatation Device (PFD) Violations: 0
# of Other Vessel Infractions: 0
# of Boating Collisions: 0

Safety on our highways and waterways continues to be everyone’s responsibility. It is imperative for all to do your part to ensure a Safe and Secure Civic Holiday long weekend and throughout the rest of the summer.